Sanitary drinking cap



I Jan. 1943- P. N. FLEMING 2,309,385

SANITARY DRINKING CAP Filed Feb. 3, 1941 Z] 1 w C-T H'M UL NELSON HEM/NCa Patented an. 26, 1943 um'rso' STATES PATENT orrica. f

, ssnmmr DRINKING on Paul Nelson Fleming, Hagerstown, Md. ApplicationFebruary 3, 1941, Serial No. 317,242

1 Claim. (01. zit-10c) prevent the contents of the bottle from spillingout of the bottle while the user is drinking there-' from.

A further object of this invention is the production of a simple andeflicient sanitary drinking cap for bottles and thelike, which cap is soconstructed as to properly vent the bottle to which the cap is attached,thereby facilitating the even flow of liquid from the bottle' andthrough the cap. I

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appearthroughout the following specification and claim.

' In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sanitary drinking cap shown uponthe neck of a bottle, a

portion of the cap being shown in section;

Figure 2 isa vertical sectional view through the cap and a portion ofthe neck of a bottle, showing the cap in the process of being attachedto the bottle; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinalsectional view of the neck of a bottle andcap, the cap and bottle being shown in a drinking position.

II designates the bottle neck which is provided with the conventionalcap-retaining bead II. In carrying out my invention, the conventional Byreferring to the drawing, it will be seen that crimped cap is removedand my improved sanimy drinking cap i2 is attached to the bottle.

This cap I! is preferably formed of resilient waxed card-board, or othermaterial, which may be obtained at a minimum cost. Light metal or othersimilar material, may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and the sanitary drinking cap may be easily stamped orpressed from sheet material and manufactured by automatic machinery.

The sanitary drinking cap I! is provided with a resilient crimpeddepending flange ii, the edge I of which is inturned slightly to flexunder the bead ii when the cap I! is attached to the bottle tohold thecap in place and to flexoutwardly while the flange I3 is being forcedover the bead 1 ll,-as shown in'Figure 2." The cap i2 is provided withan outer wall it which overhangs the mouth of the bottle when the cap isin position upon the ing cap having an outer flat wall, a resilientflange user may be used as a valve by moving the lip toas new is:

bottle. The outer wall it is provided with a central aperture it. p I

An inset drinking spout ll which is open at its outer end extendsoutwardly of the wall I! and partly surrounds the aperture I6, as shown.The spout i1 is provided with a ut-away portion or vent opening II onone side, which extends the full length of the spout ll. Thiscut-awayportion it extends from the outer end of the spout ii to the point wherethe spout ioins'the wall it. The side edges of the cut-away portion I!are gradually curved from a point approximately the longitudinal centerof the spout l'l outwardly in the direction of the edge of the cap andmerge into the outer wall it, as shown. All edges are smooth to avoidinjury to the mouth of the user. The aperture it extends laterally ofthe cut-out portion l8, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. I

The formation of the cut-away portion It, as described above, will placethe inner end of the cut-away portion It to one side of the longitudinalcenter of the spout and above the lip of the user when the spout I1 isin a drinking position, as shown in .Figure S. The approximate positionof the lips will be seen by noting the dotted lines in Figure 3. Theupper lip of the ward or away from the wall I! to control the venting ofthe cap and bottle. when the upper lip A shown in dotted lines in Figure3 is moved away from the wall II, the vent opening formed by thecut-away portion 18 will be enlarged and the liquid within the bottlewill flow more freely, but when the lip A is moved toward the wall IIthe flow of liquid is retarded. Furthermore, the cap 12 fits tightlyupon the beadli thereby preventing liquid from leaking between the capand bottle. The upper lip of the user may be manipulated to preventoverflow of liquid out through th cut-away portion or vent. opening ll.

From the foregoing description, it will ,be seen that a simple andemcient sanitary drinking cap has been provided which maybe readilyapplied or attached to the conventional soft-drink or similar bottle, tofacilitate drinking from the mouth of a bottle. Through the use of thiscap, the flow of liquid may be easily controlled by the user, and theuseof a drinking straw may be eliminated, thereby avoiding danger ofspilling the contents upon the clothing of the user. 'Having describedthe invention, what I claim As an article-of manufacture, a sanitarydrinkcarrled by the outer edge of said wall and adapted to engage thehead of the neck of a. bottle for seating the cap upon the neck of abottle, the flange having an inturned edge for flexing under the healdof a bottle neck, said wall having a central apertur inset from theouter edge of the cap to provide a. wide flat lip-abutment portionentirely surrounding the aperture, an open sided spout partlysurrounding said aperture and protruding outwardly of the flat walladjacent the 2,soo,ssu

edge oi the aperture, the open sided spout defln-

